An Alexandria nonprofit is preparing to send supplies to Jamaica in the wake of mass damage left by Hurricane Melissa.
Good360 is working with partner Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) and other relief agencies after the Category 5 storm made landfall this week to “assess needs on the ground and deploy pre-positioned supplies, generators, shelter materials and other essentials,” according to a release.
“This definitely requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Good360 Vice President of Disaster Response Morgan Loomis told ALXnow. “I think [the] scale of what we anticipate the damage to be and the needs is going to be pretty significant.”
Hurricane Melissa was reportedly the strongest storm to hit Jamaica in 174 years, leaving behind power outages, fallen trees, landslides, flooding and destroyed roofs, the Associated Press reported.
In response, Good360 has moved some of its inventory supplies to Miami-based partner GEM’s headquarters. The international non-governmental organization has warehouses in Jamaica and military clearances to land aircraft for deliveries, even if commercial airports are closed, Loomis said.
“Everything is staged and ready to go,” Loomis said. “As soon as we get the green light from the local government there, we’ll be sending our supplies, hopefully on maybe Thursday or Friday.”
Good360 is currently accepting monetary donations to help the relief effort procure and distribute supplies to affected communities.
“This is obviously going to be a long-term recovery,” Loomis said. “There’s going to be immediate needs, but I think with the damage to infrastructure and livelihoods, that this one’s definitely going to be a long haul.”
Since 1983, the nonprofit has helped provide billions of dollars in global disaster relief supplies. Recent efforts include relief toward the L.A. wildfires, in Florida following Hurricane Milton and in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
“Our team is deeply committed to supporting affected communities during this challenging time,” CEO Cinira Baldi said in a release. “We are working closely with our nonprofit partners and corporate donors to ensure that urgently needed goods are delivered to where they’re most needed.”
